1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, system and method for performing an electrosurgical procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus, system and method for performing surface tissue desiccation which employs an electrosurgical apparatus that includes an internal cooling mechanism for cooling one or more electrodes during operation thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrosurgical apparatuses (e.g., surface tissue desiccation devices) are well known in the medical arts and typically include a handset with an on/off switch, a shaft and at least one electrode operatively coupled to a distal end of the shaft that is configured to perform an electrosurgical procedure, such as surface tissue desiccation. The electrosurgical apparatuses utilize electrical energy to effect hemostasis by heating the tissue and blood vessels to coagulate, cauterize, seal, cut, desiccate and/or fulgurate tissue.
Electrosurgical apparatuses and instruments, such as surface tissue desiccation devices, require a cooling mechanism to keep the one or more electrodes in a cooled state while activating RF power between the electrodes. Typical cooling mechanisms deliver a cooling medium, e.g., a suitable sterile solution such as water, saline and the like, to the electrodes via an open lumen system, as shown by FIG. 1, which enables the coolant to be delivered to the electrodes and dispensed onto the electrodes and the surgical field, and thereby cool the electrodes. Besides, the cooling medium ensuring that the electrodes remain in a cooled state, the cooling medium causes the effective contact impedance between the tissue and the electrodes to remain low, thus reducing sticking and charring while promoting maximum surgical effect in the tissue. Due to the electrodes being heated, the portion of the cooling medium dispensed or discharged onto the electrodes is converted to a gas, such as steam. The gas and the liquid cooling medium which is not converted to steam may impede the surgeon by obscuring the surgical site.
As shown by FIG. 1, the distal end of a known electrosurgical handset 10 for performing an electrosurgical procedure, such as surface tissue desiccation, includes two electrodes 12, 14 which become heated during an electrosurgical operation. A cooling mechanism 13 having a tubing assembly or lumen assembly 16 with two metal conduits 24, 26 defined therein delivers cooling fluid from a cooling fluid reservoir 28 to each respective electrode 12, 14 as shown by arrows A. Each conduit 24, 26 has an exit 18, 20 at a distal end of each electrode 12, 14 for dispensing the cooling fluid onto the electrodes 12, 14 and the surgical site. An insulator tubing assembly 30 insulates a major portion of the metal conduits 24, 26, leaving only the electrodes exposed, at the distal end of the handset 10. An on/off switch 13 controls the operation of the handset 10.